This Weekend: Turn Back the Clocks, Turn Up Fire Safety

It's that time of year again! As we set our clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) encourages everyone to make fire safety a priority. Take a few minutes to test your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors, and complete a home safety check. These simple steps can help protect your home, safeguard your loved ones, keep your family safe all year long.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments respond to over 470,000 home fires each year, resulting in over 3,100 deaths, over 10,000 injuries, and more than $15 billion in direct property damage.

Many home fires occur when residents are asleep, making early detection essential to saving lives. Smoke alarms provide an important early warning, giving people precious seconds to escape and help reduce fire-related deaths and injuries. However, more than half of home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or where the alarms are not functioning properly. In many cases, smoke alarms fail because batteries are missing, dead, disconnected, or installed incorrectly. To help keep families safe, the NFPA recommends installing smoke alarms inside every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home.

CO detectors should be installed on every level of the home, particularly near areas where CO may be generated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional, non-fire-related CO poisoning claims more than 400 lives annually in the United States, and results in over 100,000 emergency room visits, and more than 14,000 hospitalizations each year.

When turning your clocks back one hour this weekend, reduce tragic deaths and injuries by following these safety tips:

• Check alarms: Replace smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detector batteries. Replace smoke alarms over 10 years old, and CO detectors over 5 years old. Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities
• Replace other batteries: Check phone accessories, clocks, thermostats, flashlights, and outdoor lighting
• Inspect your home: Look for damaged electrical cords, clean heating systems and dryer vents, and keep fire extinguishers easily accessible
• Check inside the home and outdoor storage areas: Safely dispose of household chemicals, paint and propane tanks that are expired, no longer needed or damaged
• Review emergency plans: Practice your family’s fire escape plan and check your emergency preparedness kit to identify items that need to be restocked or replaced

Visit our website for additional safety information on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

For more information, please contact MDFR’s Media and Public Relations Bureau at 305-204-2526.